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AMD Phenom 9500 Linux Performance

Phoronix: AMD Phenom 9500 Linux Performance

Have you recently upgraded to AMD's Spider platform with their quad-core Phenom processor and are running Linux? If so, and are experiencing kernel panics, stability problems, and even a psychedelic Ubuntu logo, you're not alone. Earlier this week we had looked at AMD's new 790FX Chipset under Linux and now it's time to deliver the world's first Linux benchmarks of AMD's Spider platform. However, getting to the point of delivering these Linux benchmarks wasn't exactly smooth sailing. In this article, we'll be looking at the AMD Phenom 9500 performance under Ubuntu 7.10 as well as sharing our experiences with this new AMD platform.

Why haven't you disabled the TLB fix? The TLB bug isn't doing anything against the stability, because it simply won't happen. Everyone should disable this "fix" as it's causing a noticeably performance loss.

Well if you want a very new kernel you could try Thorhammer RC7 with Ubuntu 2.6.24 git kernel patched to 2.6.24-rc6-git7 - without CONFIG_IDE set (thats needed for some boards/laptops). You don't get this kernel config by Ubuntu itself. Also it is really funny that only kernel compilation was faster, but no Q6600 was in the test which is basically in the same price range.

Well if you want a very new kernel you could try Thorhammer RC7 with Ubuntu 2.6.24 git kernel patched to 2.6.24-rc6-git7 - without CONFIG_IDE set (thats needed for some boards/laptops). You don't get this kernel config by Ubuntu itself. Also it is really funny that only kernel compilation was faster, but no Q6600 was in the test which is basically in the same price range.

The Phenom is faster with the useless TLB fix turned off. Also, the Phenom gets faster when more cores are used. When only 1 core is used, then the Intel Core 2 is leading the way (but which applications that use only 1 core do need that speed anyway?), but when using 4 cores, the Intel Core 2 doesn't have anything to laugh about anymore.

Testing the Spider platform with the KANOTIX Thorhammer RC7 release would be really interesting as it uses the Kernel 2.6.24, while the latest Ubuntu release uses the outdated Kernel 2.6.22 one. I am wondering if the upcoming AMD SB700 will be supported when the motherboards arrive in a month or so.